The Only Son Amongst The Daughters Of Eros
Chapter 33 Heart Hunt Challenge • 6

Kraboom!

The battle began with an explosion of both opposing team's offensive blasts. Then came the clash in the midst of the clearing smoke.

It was a fierce, chaotic tangle of claws, wings, and roars. Aryanne's Dreadhound leaped forward, jaws snapping as it lunged for Aeric. Sylver twisted sharply, dodging just in time, only to have Melina's Nightpanther appear beside them in a blur, its eyes flashing dangerously.

Being the most agile Beast in the match, Sylver was able to sidestep its strike, but barely as he snarled, pushing the panther beast back, fangs bared.

Celestia's Pegasus leaped overhead, its wings glowing with a fiery gold as it landed on the ground and stood in front of Nyx and Nyssa, ready to battle.

Nyx, the bolder of the twins smirked, petting her Viperbird as the beast's eyes glowed with preparation.

They immediately rushed into the battle. Celestia's beast shot out blinding bolts of light at the beasts from its spread out wings. The twins dodged them with their beasts but each strike sent shockwaves across the ground.

As they clashed, Aeric was in the midst of a brawl with the Moonlight sisters who were hellbent on teaching him a lesson.

As the fight went on, Melina's Nightpanther suddenly disappeared, reappearing behind the Silverwolf with a puff of shadow. Aeric turned his mount just in time, bringing his Beast Companion's paw down in a powerful strike, only for it to miss as the Nightpanther vanished again, emerging further back, growling in frustration.

With the sound of the crowd growing louder and louder, the beast battle got more intense. Very rarely did situations like this happen in a Heart Hunt game, and everyone began to understand that the Daughters were not trying to win.

They were relentless, a whirlwind of claws, fangs, and talons kept on descending upon Aeric and Celestia from all sides. Each move they made was countered, each escape route blocked.

Sylver didn't have many defensive modes, so he had to use his high Agility stat to dodge all the numerous attacks led by Aryanne and her dreadful Dreadhound.

Solver energy flickered as Aeric fought, using every ounce of Sylver's agility to dodge and parry, but the numbers were catching up with him.

"Aeric, above you!" Celestia shouted. He glanced up just in time to see Nyx diving with her Viperbird, a dark blur against the sky.

But at the same time, a crackle of lightning tore through the sky, and he turned to his left to see Nyssa shooting out a burst of electricity from her Thunderstag's antlers.

"You didn't expect that didn't you?" Nyx laughed. "Twin attack!"

Aeric's mind rang with urgency and his brain made swift calculations, noting how to dodge both attacks.

Eyes narrowed, he grabbed tight onto Sylver's reins then pulled hard to the right, made a full curve and dragged it further.

With this control, the Silverwolf spun around, moving to the left at the same time as the lightning, passed right in front of him, missing by inches.

Then he jumped forward, just in time to escape the Viperbird about to crash on him with its scaled body.

It was an amazingly brisk and intelligent move, barely evading the strikes but avoiding it all the same. However, the move caused Aeric to lose his grip and he fell off the beast.

He rolled aside on the ground, avoiding a stomp of Sylver's paw, then he knelt on the ground.

'Holy shit. I can't catch my breath,' he thought as he could feel himself slowing, breaths coming faster, his body aching from the relentless battle.

Nyx and Nyssa stared at him, stunned and surprised that he had been able to avert their dangerous move. 'How? We had him in place! No one has ever been able to do that?!'

Meanwhile, the battle was still ongoing and Aeric saw Melina absentmindedly drag her Beast Companion in front of him, as she also tried to catch her breath.

Aeric's eyes flashed with opportunity. He could pull her down from that panther and give her the beating of her life. He was going to rain punches down on her! He was going to kill her with his bare fists!

He gingerly got on his bare feet and started to slowly approach her.

However, Aeric wasn't the one who saw this opening.

Realizing that Melina was catching her breath, Celestia steered her Winged Pegasus forward, angling its horn toward Melina's Nightpanther, which had paused momentarily, exposed and within range. Celestia seized the opportunity, commanding her Pegasus to charge with full force.

The horn glistened and a golden energy began to breeze from its tip as it ran faster and faster towards the Nightpanther.

But Melina's head lifted just in time and she saw the danger approaching. After her urgent order, her Nightpanther blinked out of existence with a dark poof — and in its place stood Aeric.

Celestia's eyes widened.

Aeric's eyes widened.

"Aeric!" She screamed desperately, horror in her bright blue eyes as she tried to pull back, but it was impossible to stop the beast now, and Aeric was not going to jump fast enough.

The Winged Pegasus's horn struck.

Gasps echoed from the crowd.

Aeric felt a wild pain close to his left shoulder. A blast of magic occurred, and the horn struck deep. The magic pushed Aeric backwards with a force too great to stop in time.

Flinging into the air, Aeric thought for one second he was going to die. He crashed hard on the ground and gasped, pain flaring through him like wildfire. He groaned, clutching at his chest as his legs began to stiff.

His vision began to blur, breath began to strangle, lips began to quiver

"Aeric!!!"

Celestia leapt from her Pegasus, rushing to his side, her face pale with shock. "Aeric… I—I didn't mean to…"

Just then, Rosette and Misty arrived on their Beasts, noting how everyone was still and how the atmosphere was solemn.

"What happened?" Rosette asked, looking around. "What's going on?"

Aryanne didn't say anything, she just watched with a cold face.

"Your brother," Nyx finally answered. Rosette followed her gaze to the floor where Aeric was sprawled and Celestia was kneeling over him.

Misty gasped, using both hands to cover her mouth.

Aeric seemed to be having some sort of stroke. His hands squeezed and pulled away from his chest, then they stayed flat on the ground, none of his body moving.

He could barely say anything, his voice faint as he whispered, "I… can't move…" His breaths came shallow and labored, fear flashing in his eyes as he fought to hold onto consciousness.

"I know," Celestia whispered with a worried look on her face. "It's the magical toxin in Lumi's horn, it paralyzes the target, you're not going to be able to move or spea— I have to get you to a healer."

"Ugh— I can't... see."

"I know. I know." Desperately, Celestia got on her feet and walked to her Beast Companion while others watched.

"What happened!" Rosette demanded angrily. "Who struck him?!"

"Does it matter?" Aryanne snapped at her with a glare. "You were also in on it. Did you not think this would happen?"

Rosette's face squeezed with anger and worry, but she was even more angry that she was angered and worried. This was what she wanted right.

"Ugh..." Aeric groaned on the floor, clearly in pain.

What the hell? Why did she feel so guilty and so bothered for him?!

A sound resonated in the Maze.

/Game Time has run out. Team Dawnstar had all Heart Tokens at the end of the game and is declared the winner/

Aryanne and Melina glanced at each other, not annoyed about that notification as much as they wished to.

Aeric smiled — in his mind. 'At least that's good news. Worth it,' he thought.

"Ay, Celestia," Aryanne called the girl who was adjusting her beast to make space for Aeric.

"What happens to him if you don't take him immediately to a healer?" she asked her.

Celestia looked at all of them with a terrified expression, then answered, "He dies."